Spark
by Stained Blue
Summary: Take me with you I do declare, I love you dearly through here and there. What can I do to make you share? What can I do to make you care?


Title: Spark  
Pairing: Monk/Stottlemeyer  
Note: Don't own…still.

The case had him working his fingers to the bone. The SFPD was trying hard to bust a drug operation, and they were finally closing in. Without Adrian Monk's help. Which was good, he reminded himself for the hundredth time as he sat in the small takeout hut, waiting for his food to finish. The SFPD needed to prove to the city of San Francisco that it was a worthy force, even without its star defective detective.

Sighing, he ran his hand over his face. God, he was tired. His clothes were rumbled and his hair was in slight disarray. With a small chuckle, he realized it was probably a good thing Monk wasn't on the case, given the way he looked Monk would have a field day mothering him. Though, that wasn't _so_ bad.

Finally, his dinner was pushed into his waiting hands, and he was so ready to go home, crack open a cold one, and enjoy his Chinese food before falling asleep in his own bed. _Ah_, he thought, _the simple pleasures are sweet._

He had managed to struggle with his car door for only a moment before getting in. He set the food on the passenger side seat and went to close the door when he felt the chilly kiss of a gun barrel against his temple. The blood turned icy in his veins, but he just exhaled slowly and put his hands on the steering wheel, leaning back in his seat. The gun followed his motions.

"Think of a person. The _one_ person you can't possibly imagine your life without, Captain Stottlemeyer. Think hard now." The voice was pitched low, raspy. The name popped into his head as soon as the gunman finished speaking, _Adrian_. He felt mild shock, but knew it was true. The gun barrel pressed harder into his skin, and he knew there would be a bruise. "Do you have a person?" He gave a slight nod, biting on his tongue to keep from making any snide comments. "Now imagine that person…and imagine me killing them. Slowly. Painfully. And sending you mementos: pictures, body bits, bloody clothing." He clenched and ground his teeth as the rage rolled through him. The gun barrel ground roughly into his temple, and he could feel the skin pulling taunt then tearing apart. A sticky trail of blood left the wound, running down his temple and cheek.

"Now don't you think," another twist in the wound, "that you should be spending time with that one person instead of investigating me? You and your boys are really bad for business. If we have to have this talk again, I'll find that one." The gun handle crashed hard against his skull, and he slumped against the steering wheel, bordering on unconscious. There was rage in him, at the mere idea that someone had tried to threaten him using Adrian Monk. He listened to the footsteps staccato away.

It was a few moments before he could rouse himself enough to close the car door, put his seatbelt on, and start the car. He wished he could just drive home to his lonely apartment. Or better yet, act as though his mind had chosen Karen as his one and drive to her house, bang on the door, and reconcile with her. But it didn't work out like that as he drove toward Monk's apartment as if on autopilot. It wasn't too late, and he knew that if he didn't at least check on Monk he'd never get any sleep.

He broke the speed limit, ran a few red lights, and forgot about the stop signs. In fifteen minutes, he was across the city and moving up the stairs to Adrian's apartment. The minor head wound was making him feel a little dizzy, but he couldn't stop until he reached his friend's door. Breathing hard, he bent over and leaned against the wall. After he managed to compose himself, he straightened and banged hard on the door.

Inside, he could hear Adrian shuffling around before moving toward the door with slow steps. He banged again, trying to hurry Monk along. When Adrian opened the door, he felt the relief wash through him. But Adrian's brow furrowed, and his dark, brilliant gaze saw everything.

"Captain…?" He smiled a little, "You're okay Monk. No one threatened you or has been by, have they?" He felt the most shocking feeling; Adrian Monk was gently touching the skin right on the edge of his laceration. He closed his eyes, let the soft touch and softer voice wash over him. "Captain…Leland, you're bleeding. Come inside, let me clean that." He had half expected Adrian to kick him to the curb with his wound and the blood and all, but stepped into the apartment.

He followed his friend into the cleanest bathroom in the world, he was certain of it. Adrian lifted trembling hands but pushed him down on the closed lid of the toilet. In a small burst of energy, he reached out and grabbed Adrian's wrist. The other man looked at him curiously. "You didn't answer me earlier. No one's been by or threatened you…have they?" Adrian gave him a mildly concerned look, but shook his head. "No Leland…is everything okay." He leant back against the toilet's tank and closed his eyes, feeling better.

There was a cool, wet touch against his temple, and he squinted his eyes open to watch Adrian's intense look of concentration and wondered if the man could do anything in a relaxed way. The cotton ball dabbed lightly at his wound then rubbed against his cheek. He could only imagine the pristine white being stained with his blood. He batted at Adrian's actions lightly, "You don't have to do that Monk." He noticed the slightly wounded look on Adrian's face and internally sighed. He always seemed to somehow forget to cherish every little touch from Adrian as the precious gift it was, especially now, since he had an open wound, which carried the potential for disease spreading. He smiled lightly at Adrian and reached for him, but Monk easily eluded his fingers.

Adrian left the bathroom, and while he could see this, it was still a few moments before he could rouse himself enough to follow the other. As he passed the mirror, he glanced at the side of his head. The wound was superficial, but jagged and rough looking. He, unintentionally, grimaced. Wandering through the house, he found Adrian in the living room. The other man was sitting on the sofa, his hands resting in his lap, and his head tilted downward just barely. He remembered watching Monk fall apart on that couch after Trudy's death. Sighing, he sat down next to his friend.

Silence greeted him. But he sat there, waiting for Adrian to look at him, talk to him…just waiting. Finally, he reached out and touched Adrian's shoulder, causing the other man to look at him. "Thanks for…taking care of me Adrian." The other looked away for a brief second before that intense, bottomless gaze is back, locking him in a contest of wills. "Now will you tell me what's going on? I touched blood for you," and here, Adrian shuddered. He smiled, but then became worried. He wasn't entirely sure of how much to tell his friend, how much the other man would correctly guess. Adrian always seemed to know everything, even when it was hidden from him.

"Well…I was getting dinner and some man jumped me in my car. He held the gun to my head," here he glanced away, not really able to lie to Adrian's face, "and threatened everyone I cared about. I was on this side of town and decided to check on you first." He glanced back at Adrian, and could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Those dark, glittery eyes watched, scanned his face over and over, before Adrian gave him a disbelieving look. Something in him clenched, and he knew he'd been found out.

But curiously, Adrian didn't say anything. Instead, he just nodded and looked away, his gaze fixating on some invisible smudge on the pristine wall. Finally, Adrian got to his feet and gave him a searching look. He couldn't make his tongue work, but got to his feet too. He looked down into that dark gaze.

"Shouldn't you go and check on Karen and the boys?" There it was. The little piece of the puzzle that Adrian had figured out, the piece that had got him caught. Nodding, he moved toward the door, Adrian right behind him. "I guess you're right, now that I know you're fine and everything." Adrian just nodded.

As Monk began to close the door behind him, he turned and put his hand out, effectively stopping the progression. Confusion lit up that dark gaze as he pushed the door back open, stepping back inside Adrian's apartment, closing the door behind him. He caught Adrian's wrist, tugging him closer so he could stare down directly into those eyes. "Adrian…" he started off, before stopping. Those dark eyes radiated patience, that brilliant gaze bearing into his.

"It's really hard to explain," he started again. But Adrian just tilted his head slightly to the side. "Well…if you try, maybe I'll be able to understand." With his free hand, he rubbed his neck. Muttering to himself, though he was sure that Adrian could hear it, "Yeah that could be a problem…" Sighing, he tried again, tugging Adrian closer until he could look directly down into that intelligence, until his lips were within kissing distance.

His gaze fluttered to those lips and then back to those eyes. "I was getting Chinese take-out. I came back out to the car afterward, was getting ready to shut the door when a guy jumped me. Pressed the gun against my skull. Told me to think of _one_ person, the only person I couldn't live without. He told me he'd use that person, specifically him hurting that person to get me to leave his drug operation alone." He stared into those eyes, and he could see that Adrian wanted him to say it.

Sighing he gave his friend a look, "You're gonna make me say it aren't you." He could see the small smile tugging at Adrian's lips. Lips he would probably never get to kiss without a lecture about the amount of germs in the human mouth. The only set of lips he found he really wanted to kiss. "I thought of you, Adrian. _You_ were my one. Not Karen, or even my boys…you."

Finally, giving in to it, he pressed his lips against Adrian's mouth. Surprisingly, Adrian didn't pull away, or tense, or really anything. That mouth was supple, soft under his. Adrian tilted his head upward, pressing their faces closer together. His fingers clenched harder at Adrian's wrist, pulling him as close as he could while his other hand planted itself firmly in the brunette's lower back.

He wouldn't have him moving until he was ready for it to happen.

After what seemed like a long breath, a short eternity, he pulled back. Sooty lashes were fanned on Adrian's cheekbones, his lips a bruised pink, a slight flush covering his skin. Then Adrian opened his eyes. That dark, intelligent gaze seemed to bore into him, ensnaring his heart and making the organ beat fast in his chest. "I know." The words were soft, barely whispered from the defective man in front of him.

Trembling fingers touched his neck, before cupping the back of his head, pulling him closer until their lips nearly touched yet again. That brilliant gaze was locked on his, pulling him in. "I know…me too Leland. I…I love you." Then Adrian Monk was kissing him, and it was like breathing. He couldn't imagine life without it.

So he held on for as long as he could, clinging to Adrian like he would drown if he let go. He didn't want to think about losing the brilliant, beautiful, difficult man in his arms.

When Adrian finally pulled back, his thumb was stroking the soft skin of the brunette's cheek, and he was staring into those eyes unflinchingly. He bore everything had had to bear to that gaze. "I love you too Adrian," and he said it with all the conviction he could manage, even as it felt like his throat was being squeezed.

"God help me I do…and I don't know what I'd ever do without you." Adrian smiled at him softly, "Well…you won't ever have to know." And the look in those beautiful eyes, the set of that mouth told him it was the truth.

He could only hope he was strong enough to love someone like Adrian, though…he supposed life and time had already proven that.


End file.
